Related Articles

According to the conservation group Polar Bears International, the worldwide polar bear population is between 20,000 and 25,000, as of 2008. Churchill, Manitoba, is the self-proclaimed "Polar Bear Capital of the World." The town attracts scientists, and averages more than 12,000 visitors during polar bear season.

Tours

Two companies offer polar bear tours in Churchill: Great White Bear Tours (greatwhitebeartours.com) and Frontiers North Adventures' Tundra Buggy Adventures (tundrabuggy.com). Both companies use tundra buggies, which look like large Land Rovers, which are designed to keep passengers safe with grated viewing decks and windows. The tours travel into the Churchill Wildlife Management Area, which is the best place to see the bears in their natural environment. The area is also home to arctic foxes, beluga whales and arctic hare. More adventurous tourists can take a hiking tour through the area with Polar Bear Alley Expeditions (polarbearalley.com), which uses trained guides who carry shotguns.

Travel to Churchill

Churchill has no paved road access, so you have to fly or take a train into town. Winnipeg's James Armstrong Richardson International Airport has daily flights on two airlines -- Calm Air and Kivalliq Air -- and train service is available from Winnipeg's Union Station through Via Rail. The flight to Churchill takes about two hours, and the train trip takes about 48 hours.

Staying in Churchill

Churchill has a range of accommodations and services to make any tourist comfortable. The town's nine hotels offer modern conveniences, including Internet service, cable television and airport shuttles. Churchill also has five bed and breakfasts, and Great White Bear Tours and Frontiers North Adventures operate tundra lodge service, which allows guests to sleep overnight in a tundra buggy in the Churchill Wildlife Management Area.

Things to Know

The best time to see polar bears in Churchill is from October to November, when they arrive in large numbers and wait for the Hudson Bay to freeze. After November, the bears are more likely to remain on the frozen bay to hunt. Churchill is a major tourist destination during bear season, and you need to book a trip well in advance. Polar bears do enter the town, and you should familiarize yourself with polar bear safety in case of an encounter. Polar bears are carnivores and can be extremely dangerous. They are more likely to get used to people than other bears and are less afraid of humans.